MINISTRY RELEASES LIST OF APPROVED PRIVATE SCHOOLS

MBABANE - The Ministry of Education and Training has released the list of private schools which have government’s approval to operate.
The schools are those at all levels from preschools, primary and high schools.

Dr Sibongile Mntshali, the Director of Schools, strongly warned parents and legal guardians not to send their children to schools which did not have the ministry’s authority to operate.
Mntshali said government would not be in a position to help parents or children should any problems arise in the schools which had not been granted permission to operate.
“The list also includes the names of some private schools which have been given provisional authority to operate,” said Mntshali.

She said parents could take their children to these schools, which, however, had to fulfil other requirements during the course of the year.
Private schools with excellent results will be shut down by government if they do not comply with the necessary requirements.

Mntshali warned parents not to take their children to private schools in 2014 without consulting with the Ministry of Education and Training.
Mntshali, in an earlier interview, said just because a school had excellent results it did not give its owners leeway to then operate without following the set standards and guidelines.

“Among the things we consider is the schools’ buildings to ensure that the structures are in good condition,” said Mntshali.
She said schools also had to have adequate recreational space.

adding that even the parking lot should be in such a condition that it is not a danger to the pupils,” said Mntshali.
The Director said during the course of the year the offices of the four Regional Education Officers had been going to the private schools to ensure that they met the standards which were wanted by the ministry.

“The owners of such schools however also do not keep the ministry informed of what the progress is and only come to report in December yet by that time we have already compiled a list of which schools should not operate,” said Mntshali.

She further asked for the parents to cooperate with the ministry encouraging them to consult the list before paying their children’s school fees.
“When we shut down the schools the parents sometimes blame us for such because in most instances they are unable to get refunds and therefore we want them to make sure that the school has government approval before they enroll their children,” she said.

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